Effective November 3, 2025, the Postal Service™ will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), section 609, to reflect recent updates to the claims filing process. The section is also being revised for consistency.
The Postal Service is revising the chart under DMM section 609.1.4 to reflect a “No Sooner Than” filing date of 6 days for the “Insured Mail” line entry, unless the claims are bulk claims submitted via the Business Customer Gateway (BCG). Such bulk claims will remain at the “No Sooner Than” 15 days filing date.
The Postal Service is also revising the following:
n DMM section 609.5.5, “Dual Claims,” to reflect that if the mailer and the addressee both claim insurance, any payment due is made to the party who submits the claim first and whose claim is approved for payment.
n DMM sections 609.1.5.1, 609.6.2, and 609.6.3 to update the URL addresses that customers must use when filing or appealing claims online.
Although these revisions will not be published in the DMM until November 3, 2025, these standards are effective immediately.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services
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609 Filing Indemnity Claims for Loss or Damage
1.0 General Filing Instructions
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1.4 When to File
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[Revise the “Insured Mail…” line item to read as follows:]
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[Add a footnote at the bottom of the chart in 1.4 to read as follows:]
*Six (6) days is applicable only for claims submitted via usps.com or received by mail. Bulk Claims submitted via the Business Customer Gateway (BCG) should be filed no sooner than 15 days.
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1.5 Where and How to File
1.5.1 Claims Filed Online
[Revise the first sentence of 1.5.1 to read as follows:]
Domestic indemnity claims should be filed online (preferred) at usps.com/help/claims.htm for domestic insured mail, COD, Registered Mail with Postal Service insurance, and Priority Mail Express.***
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5.0 Compensation
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5.5 Dual Claim
[Revise the text of 5.5 to read as follows:]
If the mailer and the addressee both claim insurance, any payment due is made to the party who submits the claim first and whose claim is approved for payment.
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6.0 Adjudication of Claims
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6.2 Appealing a Claim Decision
[Revise the first sentence of 6.2 to read as follows:]
A customer may appeal a claim decision within 30 days from the date of the original decision at usps.com/help/claims.htm.***
6.3 Final USPS Decision of Claims
[Revise the first sentence of 6.3 to read as follows:]
If Accounting Services sustains a claim denial, the customer may submit an additional appeal at usps.com/help/claims.htm within 30 days for final review and decision.***
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The Postal Service will incorporate these revisions into the next edition of the online DMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Product Solutions, 8-21-25
